Cultural Centre NAIDOC programs celebrated at the IMAGinE Awards
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Cultural Centre NAIDOC programs celebrated at the IMAGinE Awards
The Blue Mountains Cultural Centre has been highly commended for their NAIDOC week exhibitions and events at the 2019 IMAGinE Awards.
The IMAGinE awards, presented by Museums & Galleries NSW, recognise the people who work in museums and galleries across NSW and the contributions they make. The awards offer a unique opportunity for museums and galleries to advocate, promote their achievements and raise their profile within the sector and the broader community.
The Cultural Centre was highly commended in the category of Engagement Programs: Small/Medium Organisations With 3 – 10 Paid Staff for Exploring Aboriginal Astronomy through Cross-disciplinary Programs.
The engaging 6-week series of programs was organised by the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre to celebrate NAIDOC and complement John South: Skyworld, an exhibition exploring Aboriginal astronomy through film and installation. The program included workshops, talks, film screenings, education programs, stargazing, and family friendly events that attracted audiences from Sydney, the Blue Mountains and regional NSW.
The events aimed to reveal connections between Aboriginal art, culture and astronomy, and included collaborations with Aboriginal practitioners, featured the Wagana Dancers (Australia) and Raven Spirit Dance Company (Canada), and leading experts in Aboriginal astronomy such as astronomer and science communicator, Kirsten Banks (Wiradjuri), Senior Euahlayi Law Man and Elder Ghillar Michael Anderson, and Aboriginal cosmology expert Duane Hamacher. Local Elders also gave a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony.
Additionally, an extensive education and outreach program was delivered. To date, these events were the most extensive and well-attended of the Centre’s annual NAIDOC celebrations.
Photo: The award, presented in Sydney on Friday 29 December, was accepted by the Cultural Centre’s Public Programs Coordinator Brittany D’Chong, Exhibitions Manager Sabrina Roesner and Cultural Services Manager Paul Brinkman. The event was held at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (formerly the Powerhouse Museum).